Pharmacogenomics

In this remarkably broad and far-reaching work, editor Mark Rothstein and his distinguished list of contributors have laid out an impressive framework for the field. Beginning with a survey of public attitudes, and progressing through scientific, clinical, governmental, legal, economic, and societal issues, the text builds to a final provocative epilogue on consequences for public policy. -from the Foreword by Francis S. Collins Pharmacogenomics promises to revolutionize medicine by enabling the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases at the genome level. While a substantial amount of public and private research focuses on new pharmacogenomic applications, notably less attention has been directed to the ethical, legal, and social implications of individualized medicine. Mark Rothstein's timely anthology reduces that scholarship deficit, presenting a multidisciplinary analysis of the scientific, clinical, economic, ethical, social, and legal implications of pharmacogenomics. Assembling an all-star cast of bioethical scholars, medical researchers, legal scholars, and social scientists, Mark Rothstein examines the promises, questions, and concerns these revolutionary therapies implicitly present. Among other features, Pharmacogenomics: * Reports for the first time the results of the first detailed, national survey of public attitudes regarding pharmacogenomics * Covers informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, and risk-benefit evaluations * Analyzes the potentially enormous changes in the standard of care and the approach to treatment with the development and application of pharmacogenomic technology * Addresses practical considerations of education, training, oversight, guidelines and protocols, and continuing education requirements * Recommends approaches to respond to the more complex issues of safety, efficacy, and quality in the distribution and development of individualized therapies * Explores the new legal standards and implementation challenges * Offers a policy framework that balances the benefits and risks and considers the wide range of legislative, regulatory, and professional options Biotechnology and pharmaceutical researchers and regulators, health care professionals and students, and academics and policymakers will find Pharmacogenomics to be a valuable resource.